You're reading: Presidential ATO spokesman confirms incident with OSCE monitors’ detention in militants-governed Horlivka

Spokesman of Presidential Administration for Anti-Terrorist Operation (ATO) Andriy Lysenko has confirmed the reports that militants illegally detained OSCE SMM observers, searched them and let them go only after that.

Being asked during a briefing in Kyiv on Saturday about authenticity of such information, he said: “This is information contained in the official report of the OSCE mission. It will be transferred to the chief headquarters of the OSCE and the respective conclusions will be made, in particular I think we will inform Russia Federation, which in fact backs these illegal armed formations,” Lysenko added.

The OSCE SMM in its report for January 7 posted on its website the day after said that armed members of self-proclaimed ‘Donetsk People’s Republic’ stopped an SMM patrol in Horlivka (39km north-east of Donetsk) and forced the SMM monitors to the ground. The SMM vehicle was searched for video material and SMM monitors were taken to a military-type building. Upon arrival of a ‘DPR commander’, who apologized for the situation, the monitors were released after 35 minutes.